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The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun

printed on parallel pages from the Cottonian and Wemyss mss., with the variants of the other texts: Edited with introduction, notes, and glossary by F. J. Amours

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CHAPTER CXXXVIII.

How King Edward gaif fals sentens
Agane þe Bruss but consciens.
[T]he clergy and þe wit of France,
Fra þai consauit þis distans,
And all þis strif and þis debait,
As þis King Edwart to þaim wrait,
Thai kest þame haly to declare
Off þat successioun þe matare.
The bischop þan of Orlians,
A solempne clerk in seire sciens,
Maister in art and in morall,
And in theology and naturall,
And foundit alsua perfitly
In philosophy as theology,
A solempne doctour als þat quhile
Baith in cannone and in ciuile.

186

This ilk mater to declare,
First he said on þis manare:
“In þe kinrik of Scotland,
That, as ȝe herd, is now vacand,
Gif custum appruffit may be knawin,
And certane by all lawis drawin,
How of þat kinrik suld þe croune
Follow in till successioun
In ony lyne descendand
Fro þe stok, or ascendand,
Evin in successioun lynyall,
Or in branche collaterall,
The first, or þe first in gre,
As þai may happin, scho or he,
Or ȝit þai sa gottin and borne,
That custum of þat realme beforne
Suld be preferrit, and haldin ay
Agane all at þe law may say;
For þat custum all by drawis
That ar writtin in þe lawis.
Bot gif þat þare be custum nane,
With law þe causs may be ourtane.
Than were it to þe common law
That is imperiall, erast draw.
Be þat law, but dout, ȝe ken
That, quhare þar cumis in pley twa men,
Askand þe croune of a kinrik,
Quhareto na laware feis ar like,
In till branchis collaterall,
Nocht in successioun lyneall,

188

To þe king neire, þat wes deid,
And to succeid in till his steid,
Nocht breþer, na breþer barnis ar,
Bot in þare greis ar ferrare,
But dout, þe nixt male in þat gre
Preferrit to þe crovne suld be,
Nocht aganestandand þat þe eldare
Off twa dochteris a dochtir baire.”
To þis þe bischop of Pariss,
That wes a gret clerk and a wiss,
And othir solempne clerkis twa,
As said þe first, sa said all þai.
Nixt þaim þe Provest of Merciall,
Doctour in cannone and in ciuile,
Said: “In þe caiss of þai twa men,
That askit þe crovne of Scotland þen,
Be writtin lawis imperiall,
And appruffit custum, vsuall
In till all þe realme of Frans,
Quhen þar fallis sic distance
In gretare greis, or smallare,
Quha funding is in gre nerrare,
The secund sone set at he be,
Or he be ferrer in sum degre,
Gif he be fundin in gre nerrare
Till him, þat is of birth ferrare,
He sall haif þe prerogative,
Gif liffand be þe stok on live,
As to be full aire at þe lest;
Set cummyn þar be of þe eldest
Broþer or dochtir twa or ma,
The gre befor þe birth sall ga.

190

And þat tuke steid in sic distans,”
Said þe provest, “in þe realme of Frans.
The king befor þan, Schir Lowis,
Be counsall, at he knew wes wiss,
Quhen he a sone had, Phillip cald,
That wes a stout knycht and a bald,
And þis Phillip had sonnis ma,
Lauchtfull gottin, þan ane or twa,
Off Phillippis sonnis þe eldare
Befor Phillippis broþer ȝoungare
Wend till haue [bene] to þe crovne
Nixt Lowis in successioun;
This Phillip fader þan liffand,
And in till France þan king regnand,
Had a ȝoungare sone þan liffand,
As I befor þis baire on hand.
This ilk maner in to Frans
Takis steid,” he said, “in sic distans,
And in ma courtis like till it,
Baith be custum of law and writt,
That gif þe eldare sone of þai twa,
Haiffand sonnis ane or ma,
Dee, his fader ȝit liffand,
The fader syne de of his land,
The ȝoungare broþer liffand in steid
Succedis all till his faderis deid,
And nocht his eldare broþer sone;
This vse wes haldin in France and done.

192

This makis for þe Bruss Robart,
And nocht for þe Balliollis part;
For nerrar to þe stok wes he
Than wes þe Ballioll be a gre,
And richtsua til William our king,
That Scotland had in gouernyng.”
Thir wismen said ȝit neuerþeles,
Gif sic custum in Scotland wes,
That þe first get in alkin gre,
Nerrar or ferrare quheþer it be,
Suld gif sic prerogatiffis
To sic gret richtis successiffis,
That samyn custum ilk deill
Specially suld be kepit and weill,
And haldin in all propirte,
As it ofttyme mycht knawin be,
Preferrit to lawis imperiall,
Cannone, or oþer custummall,
Or vsit in oure cuntreis,
Writtin and haldin for sic feis.
Ȝit attour þis þai sperit mare
At þaim, þat to þaim chargeit war;
In þat cass at þire twa men
At askit þe kinrik of Scotland þen,
Gif þai had witting, herd, or sene,
That ony custum optenit had bene
Befor þat tyme of sic a cass,
Or gif in Scotland befor þan was
A cass in all thingis falling sa like,
As wes þan of þat kinrik,

194

Supposs þat of lawar feis,
As ducheryis, erldomes or baronyis,
Sic cass oftsyss were falland,
And to þare ourelordis pertenand.
Thai ansuerd þan at neuer befor
Wes had of sic a cass memor,
As to succeid till a kinrik;
Forþi till it þai herd nane like.
Bot þai, þat maid þis relatioun,
Be þare swikfull suggestioun
Gert þire wissmen vnderstand
That þe kinrik of Scotland
Suld of þe king of Ingland be
Haldin in heretage, and fee;
And in till his court forthy
This caiss aucht to be fullely
Pledid befor him as ourelard,
And he of law to gif a ward
For ane of þai twa, þan askand
The successioun of Scotland;
And be sic custum as wes þan,
And in þe realme of Ingland ran,
The richt of þat successioun
Suld haif determinatioun.
Supposs þis cass wes set all fals,
This ensampill þai tuke in als:
The Duke of Bullone, a noble man,
The fader of him þat duke wes þan,
Off lauchfull bed had sonnis twa;
And þe eldare sone of þai
Had a dochtir, and to reherss,
The Erll hir weddit of Nywers.

196

Sone eftir deit þis eldest sone;
Bot lang eftir his dais wes done,
The duke his fader wes liffand,
And in his duchery þe stait haldand.
Bot eftir quhen þis duke wes deid,
This Erll of Nywerss in his steid
Askit be ressoun of his wif
The duchery of Bullone but mare strif;
Sen scho wes of þe eldare sone
The eldare dochtir, [þat] to be done
He askit: for he said þat na man
Wes nerrare to þat lordschip þan,
Be appruffit custum in þat duchery
Off Bullone, þat he askit trewly.
Quhen he had askit, þe ȝoungare
Off þire twa sonnys maid ansuare,
And said þe custum he knew weill
Vsit in Bullone ilk deill
Off þe tennendis in þat land,
That þare feis were haldand
Off þe duke him self in cheif,
For ward, or seruice, or releif.
That ilk custum suld oureta
And bynd his tennendis, and na ma
Bot þe dukis awne subditis.
That custum wes nocht worth thre mytis.
Quha suld of Bullone, he said, be duke,
He suld nocht to þat custum luke,
Na it avalȝeit nocht in þat distance;
Bot in the kingis court of France
Declarit, he said, þat cass suld be,
Sen þat ilk duchery, said he,

198

In fee wes haldin of the king,
That France had ay in gouernyng,
And of rycht richt wes ourelard.
Off it he wald þare ask award,
Be custum of France quheþer he or he
Suld bruke be law þat duchery fre.
Than in þe tyme of þis distans
In till Pariss þe king of Frans
This ȝoungare broþer gert weddit be
With his sister, a lady fre.
This erll, þat saw þis led sa,
Wend weill þe law wald fra him ga;
And for of gold a gret portioun
Tretit, and gaif vp his actioun.
Richtsua þir wismen vnderstude
That in lik caiss þis mater ȝude
Off þe kinrik of Scotland,
That, as þai herd, wes þan vakand;
The king of Ingland suld of law
All þe debait, as ourelord, knaw.
Supposs be fals relatioun
Thai had þare informatioun,
As þai had rypit materis seire,
The cass of Scotland þai maid clere.
Forthi togidder in a sentens,
The bischop of Orlyans,
And till him oþer bischopis twa,
Off Pariss and Carcason wer þai,
And xi. in till hie greis
Famouss men in faculteis,
With oþer gret men, presidentis,
And peris of þe parliamentis,

200

Thare names can I nocht all declare,
For þai ar strange to ȝow to heire,
To tell as I þaim writtin fand;
Thai ar nocht eith till vnderstand,
Na for till haif of þaim knawlege
Expremyt in till oure langage;
Bot, wit ȝe, þai were all gret men,
And famouss in hie statis þen.
Forthy þis cass wes specially
Put to þaim in þare study;
This mater in þare faculteis
Thai socht, and in þe buke of feis,
Makand mony distinctionis,
And argumentis in collationis,
Ilka clerk in his sciens;
And syne concludit in a sentens,
And be ensampillis set befor,
Gif thai abyde in ȝour memore,
That þe custum of ilk land
Appruffit fermely suld stand,
And aw to be preferrit ay,
All þat men of law may say.
For custum appruffit oft by drawis
Off cannone and ciuile baith þe lawis;
Forthy haldis clerkis by þare saw
That custum is þe toþer law.
Gif of a cass were custum nane,
With law þe cass maybe ourtane
Off cannone or imperiall,
Or be gret ressonis naturall.

202

All þire clerkis in þare greis,
And wissmen in þare faculteis,
Be all ensamplis forouth set,
I trow ȝe haif þaim nocht forȝet,
Maid fynaly deliuerans,
And send þaim writtin out of France
To King Edward of Ingland,
That, þai wist, wes it bydand:
That to þe stok þe nerrest maill
Suld ioiss þe crovne and stait alhaill
As in successioun of kinrik,
Quhareto na laware feis ar like.
And of þe ordouris of þe Freris,
Augustynis, and Cordyleris,
And be þe blak ordour Iacobitis,
And alsua þe quhit Carmelitis,
Gret masteris of diuinite,
Socht þis caiss in þar faculte.
Off þe Bibill als þe ferd buke
Thai kest vp, þis ilk cass to luke.
That buke is callit Numery;
Off Salphat þare is þe story;
The xxvii. chapitere,
And þus it tellis þe manere.
Quhen Moyses and Eleaȝare,
And all þe princis of Ioware ware
Within þe tabernakle haill
Togidder gaderit in counsall,
Off þis Salphat dochteris five
To þe dure come þan belive,

204

And standand þare befor Moyses
On þis manere þar asking wes:
“Oure fader Salphat in his live
Had na sone, bot we his dochteris five;
And in the helping wes he nocht
That Chore agane Moyses wrocht,
Quhen in þe erd wes sonking þan
Chore, Abyrone, and Dathan;
Oure fader Salphat neuertheles
Deit but sone in wildernes.
And supposs þat he deit but sone,
Quhy suld his name be all fordone,
That wes famouss in his quhile
Amangis his kyne and his famyle?
Sum possessionis gif ws þarfor
Oure fader name for to restore,
Amangis oure avne kyn and our kyth
Oure fader name to raiss þarwith.”
With þis Moyses als fast
For till haif counsall of God past,
And proponit þe asking
Off Salphatis dochteris, and þe ȝarnyng.
And quhen Moyses had askit his bone,
This ansuere wes to Moyses done:
“Thai madinnis askis rychttuis thing.
Forthy, till assyth þare ȝarnyng,
Gif þame possessioun amang þar kith,
Thare fader name to raiss þarwith.
Off sic a cass as I ȝow tell
Thus to þe folkis of Israell.
Quhare man, but sone, of cass were deid,
His dochtir suld succeid in his steid,

206

And hald his heretage hir allane.
Gif sone or dochtir he had nane,
His aire þan suld his broþer be.
Gif broþer nor sister nane had he,
Na þai na barnis had, ma na myn,
Than suld þe narrest of þe kyn
Tak and ioiss his heretage,
Till him fraþin and his lynnage.
The folkis of Israell þov gere knaw
And hald it for perpetuall law.”
[A]lexander þe thrid our king,
That Scotland had in gouernyng,
Sone na dochtir left he nane,
Broþer na sister all deid had tane,
Eme and ant, and mare and myn.
Wes nane sa neire till him of kyn
As wes þan þe Bruss Robert.
Thus fand þe theolog for his part;
Nerrare till Alexander our king wes he
Than wes þe Ballioll be a gre,
And cummyn alsua of þe male,
And þe Ballioll of þe female.
The sowmys of theology,
The resonis of philosophy,
And þe lawis imperiall,
Cannone, and custum vsuall,
And þe ensamplis forouth set,
That I trow ȝe haif nocht forȝet,
Makis all for þe Broisis part,
And nocht for þe Ballioll be nane art.
Be law and ressoune þus is like
Him to succeid, þe toþer ga quyte.

208

For ay to þe stok þe narrest maill
In ony branche collaterall
Sall succeid narrest to þe crovne,
To bruke it be possessioun.
Off laware feis I say nocht sa.
The custum appruffit ȝe forouth ta;
For in branchis collaterall
The maill sall ga befor femall.
[Q]when all þere gret conclusionis
With sindry consultationis,
As wes decretit in to Frans
On þe debait and þe distans
That þan wes rissin in Scotland,
At þat tyme wes of king vakand,
[Ware] oppinnit to þe audiens
Off þis King Eduard wiþ reuerens,
Than prevely he eftir send
The wisest men þat þan wes kend
Within his realme; of þai gert he
Thre score, or ma, assemblit be.
And þai wiþ all his court als fast
To þe marche of Scotland past;
And to þe wardanis of Scotland he
Send letteris of benygnyte,

210

And prayit þaim with all deligens
That þai wald cum till his presens,
And at þai wald bring alsua
Off þe thre estatis wiþ þaim ma,
That of fame were gud personis,
Bischopis, erllis and baronis,
Honorable burgessis and avenand,
Commendit wissmen and cunnand;
For þar debait þan, said he,
Suld sone declarit and endit be.
To do þis thing he come gud speid
To Norhame on þe watter of Tweid.
The statis of Scotland maid þaim bovne,
And come þan till Vpsetlingtoun;
And þidder he send þaim sauf condyt,
For all perillis to mak þaim quyt,
Frely for to cum and ga,
At þare avne lust, to and fra.
Than our þe watter of Tweid þai raid,
And in þe toune of Norhame baid,
Waittand þare oportunyte
Till þat þai þe king mycht se.
And sa þai past on to þe kirk,
The erand at þai come to wirk,
And schawit þaim þare till his presens,
And halsit him wiþ gret reuerens;
And he resauit þaim curtasly,
And to þaim spak rycht hamelely.
Fra he his hamely speche had done,
To þaim þare he proponit sone,

212

And said þe superiorite
Off Scotland of law his suld be,
And prayit þaim of þar gud will
Thare consent for to gif þartill;
And set ensampillis to þaim þare,
To gere þaim draw till him þe mare,
Off kingis of Ingland þat beforne
Had homage of Scotland, or he wes borne.
That, men wist weill, wes all fals,
That he rehersit, and callit þaim als
Kingis and ourelardis of Scotland,
That neuer were sa I dare warrand.
And þan Robert bischop of Glasgow,
A lord commendit of vertu,
Ansuerd him vnabasitly
With þare consentis, þat stude by.
“Excellent prince,” he said, “and king,
Ȝe ask ws ane vnlefull thing,
That is superiorite,
We ken rycht nocht quhat þat suld be,
That is to say, of our kinrik,
The quhilk is in all fredome like
Till ony realme þat is mast fre
In till all þe Cristianite.
Wnder þe sone is na kingdome,
Than is Scotland, of mare fredome.
Off Scotland our king held euer his stait
Off God him self immediat,
And of nane oþer meyne personne.
Thare is nane erdly king wiþ crovne,

214

That ourelard till oure king suld be
In till superiorite.
Quhen ȝe ws send ȝour sauf condit,
We trowit of sic demandis quyt.
Hidder ar we cummyn at ȝour instans
To heire declarit þis distans;
And gif ȝe will nocht in to deid
In þis mater now proceid,
[Wiþ] ȝour leif we mycht pass hame,
But ȝour displesance, fra Norhame.”
To preve counsall þan þis king
Ȝeid, and left of sic asking;
And prayit þe statis of our kinrik
To pass fraþin vnto Berwik;
And þare he hecht þaim in lawte
To gere þis cass declarit be.
His litill lawte neuerþeles
He fylit þare in his process.
Oure lordis of Scotland þan als fast
At his request to Berwik past,
And in þe Trinite Kirk richt þare
Befor þis king assemblit ware.
Our wardanis with lordis of Scotland,
And mony gret lordis of Ingland,
And þe mast wismen of þir twa
Realmes were semblit þare alsua;
Foure score, sum said, or till feware
Bot xxiiii., men said, þai ware;
And þai were stad till þe gret aith,
Set sum of þaim to swere were laith,
That, all desait and fraude put by,
For lufe or leth, þat lelely,

216

Gif þai couth, þai suld declaire
Off þat gret distans þe manare,
That wes betuix þe personis twa,
The Bruss, and þe Ballioll were þai,
Quhilk of þai be successioun
Had mast rycht to beire þe crovne.
This dout and þe awaymentis
Consauit fully of þar ententis,
Out of þe kyrk þe king gert pas
All, bot þai þat þan suorne was
To þat assiss, and þai gert he
Weill and straitly kepit be;
Than þare come nane noþer in nor out,
Bot his avne persone wiþoutin dout.
Oftsyss to þaim he maid entre,
And lang tyme wiþ þaim walde he be.
Sa, furþt quhen he come at þe last,
Gret lordis about him gaderit fast,
And askit him how all wald be;
And he ansuerit to þaim þat he
Trowit þe Bruss wald haif þe crovne,
As he togidder herd þaim roune.
“The Broiss! schir,” quod Antone þe Beke,
“Quhat is þat, lord, at ȝe speik?
Be þe Broiss king, trowis weill me,
Ware of Ingland þe ryolte,
Thy marche, and þi wallit tovnis,
Thy castellis, and þi possessionis.
Ken ȝe nocht Robert þe Broisses mycht,
His wit, his manheid, and his slicht,

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His kyn within þe realmes twa,
Off Scotland and Ingland alsua?
Gif Bruss beis king of Scotland,
Keip weill þi merchis of Ingland.
For and he be, þov sall saire rew
That euer of þis begouth þe glew.
Lat þov neuer þe Bruss beire þe crovne,
Bot þov haif his subiectioun.
Thus sais all þar lordis standand by,
Supposs þe charge þarof tak I;
For and he be king of Scotland,
Faire weill þi marchis of Ingland,
Na lippin þov neuer in pess to be,
Gif þov ioysis þat ryalte.”
Quhen þis Antone þe Beke had said,
The king consauit, and wes affrayid,
And said in Franche, as þan vsit he:
“Par la sank Dew, wouz awez chaunte.”
“Be Goddis blude,” he said, “ȝe sang;
Sa sall nocht all our gamyn gang.”
Than in þis tyrand als fast
Agane to þe assiss past,
And askit þaim how þai had done;
And till him all þai ansuerd sone
That þai had maid full deliuerans
And leill, as of þat gret distans,
And in haill conclusioun
Thai ordanit þe Bruse to beire þe crovne.
Bot first þis tyrand, as I of spak,
Fra he had herd Antone þe Beik,

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Or he past in to þe counsall,
Callit Robert þe Bruss, but faill,
And askit him prevely gif he
Wald hald Scotland of him in fe
And heretage, and his ofspring.
Wald he do sa, he suld be king.
And þare þe Bruss wiþ schort vissment
Refusit it, and fra him went,
Sayand: “Sa God him self me saif,
The kinrik cuvait I nocht to haif;
Bot gif it fall of richt to me,
And gif God will at it sa be,
I sall als frely in all thing
Hald it, as it efferis to a king,
Or as my elderis forouth me
Held it, in freast ryalte.”
This tyrand ansuerd him, and sware
That he suld get it neuermare;
And to þe Ballioll þan he went,
And askit gif he wald assent
To hald Scotland of him in fe;
And he suld sa do, he king suld be.
And he assentit till all his will,
Quhare of fell eftir mekle ill.
And quhen he had gottin his assent,
Agane to þe assiss he went,
And askit þaim how þai had done;
And þai him ansuerd all but hone
That þai with haill conclusioun
Had ordanit þe Bruss to beire þe crovne.
Thareat he maid him wonder wraith,
Haiffand na consciens of his aith
That he had suorne, þat in lawte
He suld gert it declarit be,
And gert þaim þat sentens repeill,
That þai decretit had for leill,

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Set sum of þaim þareto were laith,
Agane þe vertu of þare aith,
Bot quhat for aw, and quhat for threte,
He gert þaim þare decrete retrete,
And vndo all þar leill sentens,
That þai had gevin of gud consciens
Amangis þaim þare in prevete.
All þat he gert reuersit be,
And gert þaim all say at þe crovne
Suld fall as be successioun
To Iohne þe Ballioll be þe law,
Als fere furþt as þai couþ knaw.
Off þaim sone fra he herd þat,
Doune in till his sete he sat,
As efferis till a king,
Off þat cass to mak ending,
Forouth him þe partyis baiþ standand,
And lordis about him on ilk hand.
“God,” he said, “[haiffand] in consciens,
Heire I gif now plane sentens,
Iohne þe Ballioll to beire þe crovne,
Be richt as of successioun,
Off þe kinrik of Scotland,
That, as ȝe wait, is now vakand.”
Than ferlyit mony of þat sentens,
Swa gevin agane gud consciens,
The Erll þan of Glowcester standand,
And Robert þe Bruss þan, hand in hand.
Neire cousingis þai were, I wiss,
That þan were cummyn of twa sisteris,
As for to rekin gre be gre,
The toþir and þe toþire wes he and he
Men callit him Schir Gilbert of Claire;
And eftir, quhen mony ȝeris passit ware,
With King Edward of Carnauerane
He come to reskew Striueling þan,

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And þan wes slane at Bannoburne,
Wiþ mony Inglis at þar couþ spurne;
And, for he slane wes þare þat day,
King Robert for him wes perfay
Sumdeill dolorus and pensif,
For þai luffit oþer in þar lif,
As writtin is in King Robertis buke,
Quhasa likis it to luke.
The Erll of Glowcister, as I said aire,
And Robert þe Bruss togidder war
Standand samyn, hand in hand,
With oþer lordis by standand,
Persauit weill þe falsheid done.
Thus to þe king þare said he sone:
“Aa! God!” said he, “dredis þov nocht,
How mycht it fall in to þi thocht,
Befor þe rychtuiss domysday man
To deme on þis wiss,” said he þan,
“Quhare þe behuffis till appeire,
Fell sentens of þi self to heire,
That giffis sic sentens of a kinrik,
Quhare to nane oþer feis ar like?”
Mare þan þis wald he nocht say,
Bot turnyt þar bakkis, and ȝeid þar way,
Baith þe erll and þe Broiss Robert.
Bot quhat followit syne eftirwart,
How Robert oure king recouerit his land,
That occupiit with his fais he fand,
And restorit it in all fredome,
And till his airis out of thraldome,
Quha þat likis of it to wit,
To þat buke I þame remyt

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That Maister Iohne Barbour, of Abirdene
Archdene, as mony has sene,
His dedis has dytit mare verteously
Than I can think in my study,
Haldand in all leill suthfastnes,
Set he wrait nocht half his process.
[M]alcome king quhile of Scotland,
In it till he wes king regnand,
He tuke Sanct Margaret till his wif.
On hir he gat in till his lif
Sex sonnis and dochteris twa.
In generatioun now to ga,
Off þai þe ȝoungest wes Davy
Oure king; and he gat syne Henry.
Befor his fader deit he;
Bot he gat lauchfull sonnis thre:
Malcome þe Madin wes eldest;
Sune William oure king; [þe] ȝoungest
Wes Davy, þat wes erll throu laugh
Off Huntindoun and of þe Garagh.
Oure King William eftir þat
Alexander his sone lauchfull gat.
And þat Alexander Williamis sone
Gat Alexander. In him wes done

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And endit full in his persoune
Off William þe generatioun;
For he, as ȝe herd tell beforne,
Throu suddand caiss deit at Kingorne.
To Malcome agane now mon we ga,
For to speke of his dochteris twa.
Off þai þe eldest wes Dame Mald;
The Gud Quene wiþ all wes scho cald.
Scho wes a plesand faire lady;
Scho weddit wes wiþ Schir Henry,
That wes William Bastardis sone.
Quhen William Redis dais were done,
This Henry king wes of Ingland;
To þis Dame Mald he wes husband.
Men sais þis wes þe resson quhy
Scho wes callit þe Gud Quene suthly:
For a custum wes in Ingland
Wsit, at wes þe folkis greiffand;
Scho prayit hir lord thraly þat he
Wald of þat custum mak þaim fre.
Vpon þis scho him prayit sa fast,
Till he assentit at þe last
For to grant hir hir asking,
Gif scho fulfill wald his ȝarnyng.
To þat scho hecht scho suld be boune
But ony kynd of conditioun;
For scho trowit bot honeste,
Bot all oþer wayis menyt he.
For throu Lundyne he bad hir ryde,
Nakit, but claith, in to þat tyde,

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Bot, gif hir likit, with hir haire,
For to covir hir body baire.
And scho, þat saw na better bone,
Till his bidding grantit sone;
And þarto waitit a faire day,
Quhen wickit wedderis were away.
And als nakit as scho wes borne
Scho raid, as scho had hecht beforne;
Sa scho fulfillit his bidding,
And gat hir will and hir ȝarnyng.
And becauss of þis bowsumnes
Mald þe Gud Quene scho callit was;
And hir lord, þe King Henry,
Wndid for hir saik all frely
The ill custum, saire grevand
The commonis þat tyme of Ingland.
Hir sister Dame Mary weddit wes
With þe Erll of Bullone, Schir Eustas.
King Malcome had a broþer bald,
That callit wes be name Donald.
And quhen King Malcome had maid ending,
This Donald fayndit to be king.
Edgare, Malcomys sone, forthy
Tuke þis Donald dispitously,
And demanyt hard his persoune,
Till þat he deit in presoune.
This Donald gat ȝit neuerþeles
A dochtir, and Bettow callit wes,
And þis ilk Bettow eftir þan
Baire a dochtir, and þat woman
In þe King Williammys chalmer baid,
And to þe quene gret seruice maid.